Gearóid Hegarty and the art of saving the best until last 

An aggregate total of 3-14 across his last three All-Ireland finals is the work of a man at ease with occasion and the necessity to perform

MASTER: Gearóid Hegarty of Limerick celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

You suspect Gearóid Hegarty will be the subject of a PhD thesis in the years to come. Suggested title: The Psychology of Finals and Why Certain Players Always Perform in Them.

Confidence is clearly key. The Limerick wing-forward has plenty of it. Asked about how his marker Paddy Deegan gave him a reminder after he posted a wide in the first half of last Sunday’s All-Ireland final, Hegarty smiles: “I’d about 1-3 got at that stage so I was kind of happy enough.”